To Reach the Park
Taylor Head Provincial Park is located on the Eastern Shore,
0.4 kilometres east of Spry Bay, Halifax County, and
11 kilometres (6.8 miles) southwest of Sheet Harbour
on Route 7, the Marine Drive.
Taylor Head
Taylor Head Provincial Park, a natural environment park, occupies a rugged
wind-swept peninsula jutting six and a half kilometres (4 miles) into the Atlantic Ocean
on Nova Scotia’s picturesque Eastern Shore. The park provides spectacular views and offers
16 kilometres (10 miles) of unspoiled coastline. Discover the majesty of enduring rock
versus the tumultuous power of the sea, all just over an hour’s drive from Halifax.
Provincial Park
Port Hawkesbury
Truro
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Sherbrooke
Halifax
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Taylor Head
Provincial Park
Natural History Approximately 900 to 1,000 million years
Sheet Harbour
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Port Dufferin
ago what is now Taylor Head rested near the centre of a great
supercontinent. As the continent broke apart, new oceans formed
along the rifts. The present rocks were formed about 500 million
years ago when sand, silt and clay, were deposited in one of these
new oceans to a thickness of several kilometres.
As more muds and sands were deposited, the increasing
pressure squeezed water from underlying sediments, creating
small volcano shaped structures. Taylor Head is one of only a few
locations in Nova Scotia where sand volcanoes are found. Other
special features, called flute marks, appear as ripples in the
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Mushaboom
Spry
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bedrock and indicate that strong ocean currents once moved large
volumes of sediment rapidly across the sea floor.
About 400 million years ago, the continents collided, squeezing
these massive sediment deposits and folding them into a mountain
system that would have rivaled the Alps. Over a few million years, the
mountains were eroded to an almost flat surface. Huge boulders
known as glacial erratics are the only remaining evidence the retreat
of the glaciers. The post-glacial rise in sea levels has also affected
Taylor Head. Drowned forests, eroding headlands, and salt marshes
and beaches being driven inland are all evidence of a constantly
evolving landscape.
Tangier
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Atlantic Ocean
Taylor Head
Provincial Park
RESERVATIONS
1-888-544-3434
9:00 am to 11:00 pm AT (7 days a week)
www.novascotiaparks.ca (24 hours)
Department of
Natural Resources
22835 Hwy #7, PO Box 118
Sheet Harbour, NS B0J 3B0
(902) 885-2377
Taylor Head Provincial Park
(902) 772-2218
(mid-May to mid-October)
Photos courtesy Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources
and Nova Scotia Tourism, Culture and Heritage.
Printed on paper that
contains recycled fibre
Parks and Recreation Division
Department of Natural Resources
RR # 1, Belmont,
Colchester County,
Nova Scotia, B0M 1C0
(902) 662-3030
www.novascotiaparks.ca
Information Circular PKS-38
Printed AUG 2009 2M
FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
The rocky coast is often shrouded in fog which
rolls in from the Atlantic.
Cultural History Nova Scotia’s Eastern Shore was settled in
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Trails Hikers looking to experience a variety of habitats will enjoy
Gullll Rock
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Miliam Bluff
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Mushaboom
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haboom
Harbour
Bullll Beach
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Spry Bay
INSET
Bob Bluff
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Ranger Bluff
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Bull Beach Tr ai l
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ifax
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the Spry Bay Trail, a four kilometre (2.5 mile) loop that passes
through a coastal forest, coastal barren, wave-swept boulder shores,
coastal fresh marsh, and an inland barren. The trail provides magnificent views of Spry Bay and the rugged coastline.
Those seeking coastal views will like the Bob Bluff or Bull
Beach trails. Bob Bluff is a three kilometre (1.8 mile) hike from the
north end of Psyche Cove providing several enchanting vistas of
Mushaboom Harbour and its many islands. The six kilometre (3.7
mile) Bull Beach Trail begins at Bob Bluff. Backed by a spruce–fir
forest, it winds along the coast overlooking the harbour.
Bird watchers should try the two kilometre (1.2 mile) Beach
Walk as it traverses the sandy shores of the Psyche Cove Beach
system. Or for the maximum experience, take the Headland
Trail. This eight kilometre (5 mile) trail follows the Spry Bay Trail,
then heads off on a rugged, but rewarding, coastline walk to Taylor
Head Point. The trail returns on the opposite side of Taylor Head
where it rejoins the Spry Bay Trail. As all of the trails provide
challenging conditions, sturdy footwear is recommended.
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the late 18th century by United Empire Loyalists fleeing the
American Revolution. Discharged soldiers were also granted land in
this area. Originally a seasonal home for fishermen, Taylor Head was
inhabited in the early 19th century. The community, dependent on
farming, fishing and lumbering, existed until the mid-20th century.
A small cemetery in the park is the resting place of several
Newcombs and McCarthys, who were among the original families to
settle at Taylor Head.
Psyche
Island
Bob
Taylor Head is home to a variety of
natural habitats. The white spruce,
balsam fir–red maple, white birch
forest habitat found along the
coastline is typical of Nova Scotia’s fogPitcher Plants
bound Atlantic coast.
Fields, once farmed by early settlers, now
lay abandon behind Psyche Cove and Bull Beach.
Rocky barrens covered with dwarf shrubs and lichens are
found in the southern portion of the park. The most common plants
are reindeer lichen and black crowberry.
Several peat-filled bogs are scattered throughout the park and a
small freshwater marsh is located within the northern boundary.
The beach and sand dunes at Psyche Cove were formed by sand
deposits from the erosion of glacial till and bedrock. Elsewhere, the
coastline is dotted with rocky and cobble shores composed of
boulders and smaller stones. Several coastal fresh water marshes
have also formed here.
Wildlife at Taylor Head Provincial Park are as varied as the
habitats which support them. Breeding birds include gulls, Arctic
and common terns, black guillemot, Leach’s petrel and common
eider. Considerable numbers of waterfowl migrate through the park
in spring and fall including scooters, black ducks, oldsquaw and
Canada geese. Small mammals on the peninsula include red
squirrel, red-backed vole, short-tailed shrew, hare and mink. Whitetailed deer may be seen grazing in the old fields, while racoons and
muskrats visit the various bogs.
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Natural Habitats
Psyche Cove
Taylor Head
Provincial Park
Beach Walk
SEE INSET
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Green Island
Spry Ba
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Parking
Vault Toilets
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Leslie Island
Picnic Area
Spry Bay
B y
Bald Rock
Change Rooms
H e a dla
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Taylor
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Headd
Walking Trail
Lookoff
Accessible Trail
A Special Message to Park Visitors
Interpretive Panels
PARK SAFETY
PERSONAL SAFETY
• Smooth sandy beach at Martinique Beach Provincial Park.
Swimming (Unsupervised)
• The Fisherman’s Life Museum at Jeddore Oyster Pond
explores the life of inshore fishermen at the turn of
the 20th century.
Cemetary
• Help preserve and protect this
beautiful park for the enjoyment
of future generations. Plants,
animals and rocks are an
important part of its natural
heritage. Please do not damage
or remove them.
• Beaches are unsupervised and
children should be watched
closely in or near the water.
Area Attractions
Numerous local festivals and events are held
throughout the summer months, including:
July
Aug
St. Anslem’s Annual Lobster
Supper & Picnic
West Chezzetcook
Sandcastle Contest
Clam Harbour Beach Provincial Park.
Park Boundary
• At Lake Charlotte, Memory Lane Heritage Village take
a nostalgic look at village life as it was in the 1940s.
• For information on these and other attractions please
consult the Nova Scotia Doers and Dreamers Guide,
visit a Visitor Information Centre or the website at
www.novascotia.com
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• Please keep pets on a leash
at all times.
Fisherman’s Life Museum
• Firearms are prohibited in the park.
• Contact park staff for further
information about the park.
They want to make your visit as
enjoyable as possible.